Harder to Breathe
by lolibarbie
Summary: What happens when Stark wakes up while Jack is installing the camera in the morgue and Zoey is with him? And they witness part of Neferet's evil plan. Read to find out. I stink at summeries. Rated T for later chapters. Stark/Zoey.
1. Awaken

_**A/N First HoN fanfic, please go easy. Series.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own House of Night.**_

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Stark's POV:

I was sure I had just been dead, seriously. I opened my eyes, the last thing I remember was coughing up blood in a girls arms, that girl kissed me and I told her that I wanted more time to basically get with her. What was her name? Oh! Zoey Redbird. I felt such a deep connection with her.

I turned my head to see a girl with long black hair and a guy with short blonde hair. They looked so familiar. They were installing a camera faced right on me. Why on me? Man, why was everything such a blur!

I widened my eyes to see that girl was Zoey, and the guy was Jack. I muttered to myself, "Zoey?" I tried to sit up but I was too weak, and I wanted blood. Badly.

"Okay, is it installed?" She asked. Oh, how I loved hearing her voice once more. Jack nodded, "Let's get out of here." He said.

"Let's see if our most important patron is awake yet." I remembered that voice, but before I could say the name Zoey said it for me, "Neferet."

"Crap! We're SO toast!" Jack whispered in his usual gay-ness.

"We have to hide." Zoey suggested. Good plan, I guess for her. I mean couldn't she just blow Neferet away with her elements? I mean, for what I remember she had an affinity for all the elements, right?

They hid under a table that had a large white sheet over it that was too large and it hit the floor with extra leeway. They were peeking out of the side to see what was happening. I let my hand fall off of the side of the cold table I was laying on and I moved my hand around to show them I was awake. My table was adjacent to theirs and I could see them almost perfectly. Zoey was (unsuccessfully) hiding her beautiful smile. I closed my eyes immediately as I saw Neferet coming to my table.

"Ah," Neferet said as she was coming to my table, "I see he is awake. James, James look at me." She slit her wrist and once I smelt it I turned to her and drank, she only gave me a little but it was enough. For now.

"It's Stark." I managed after I let go. Neferet smiled, "Yes, he is awake. Ah, he already has the scarlet crescent."

"What are you talking about?" I asked confused. What did she mean the 'scarlet crescent'?

"Look," she said as she shoved a mirror at my face, which I took from her. "See, you are a red fledgling." _So that's what Zoey was talking about, coming back into a new type of fledgling. _

"This means?" I asked.

"This means you get a second chance, yet be careful, it will be your last." She explained. I could see the evil in her moss colored eyes. They had a twinge of scarlet, the same color of my Mark, in them.

"What's the catch?"

"You serve me." She said with an evil smile. I tried to stand but my muscles were too sore, dying really hurts your body after you wake back up, yet I forced myself up putting my back to her. "Serve you?" I said over my shoulder. "What would I have to do?"

"That child," she started to explain. "will come to you soon. But for now rest, and stay down here, whatever you do you MUST stay down here, I shall be back soon. Goodbye my child." She kissed the top of my head (creepy) and walked out.

After I knew she was gone I said, "Okay, come out." And the two hiding under the table came out. I just realized I wasn't wearing a shirt. Man, it's like I had been hung-over and can't remember anything from when I was drunk.

When I saw Zoey I was breathless, and so was she. It got harder to breathe when I saw her; it had been like it was an eternity before I saw her again.

I was leaning against the table I was just dead on and they were leaning against the table they had just been hiding under.

It was silent for what seemed like forever until I cleared my throat and said, "So. What are you doing here, in a morgue?"

Zoey exchanged looks with Jack before answering, "I didn't want Neferet to use your gift. I know all she will do is make you kill someone."

"Explain the camera." I said.

"We wanted to see if you were gonna, you know, wake up." Jack said, whispering, 'wake up'.

"Well, I woke up! And now Neferet is going to use me whatever way she wants." I said, putting on my cocky smile I knew Zoey couldn't resist.

"She'll make you kill me." Zoey said bluntly. Would Neferet really make me do that? I mean, I know they have tension and stuff but Neferet wouldn't make me KILL her, that's one thing I would never do. No matter how much blood she'd give me.

Zoey turned to Jack, "Hey, you get on outta here; I have to talk to Dead-Boy here." She gestured her hand towards me.

Jack nodded and ran out of the morgue without a word.

"So, what'd you wanna talk to me about?" I asked, flirtatiously, taking a step closer to her and stumbling. She put her arms around me and I put mine on her shoulders for support. We looked in each other's eyes for a moment then she looked down and made sure I was stable before letting me go, then I was forced to let go of her, so I reluctantly did.

"You are too weak to stand, sit." She said with obvious worry in her eyes, so I did what she said, I sat on the table I was just dead on.

"So you obviously care a lot about me if you put a camera in here watching my every move, well, watching to see if I made a move." I said.

"I care about living, Stark." She said, a blatant excuse.

"And me."

"If I say yes will you stop pestering me?"

"Yes, yes I will." I said, not being able to focus, and having a feeling as if something was coming over me.

"Then yes I- Stark? What's wrong?" She said, obviously something had come over me.

Blood. That was it. I wanted blood. "Blood." I said. "I want it. Need it." Didn't I just have blood?

What the hell had just come over me?

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_**Sorry, I can't really portray some characters.**_

**_Updates might be slow cause I have numerous other stories not even on this website that I have to update daily._**

**_If you review, I will post faster(:_**

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**_~Lolibarbie(:_**


	2. Truth

**I got like a few reviews almost instantly so I decided to make 2 stories in one day. Thank you guys who reviewed.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own HoN series or characters. Only in my dreams. (Haha)**

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Stark's POV:

I wanted _blood?_ "I want blood, Zoey, I'm willing to do anything for it." Where did that come from! I stood up and walked closer to Zoey _No! _I thought _If you want her, you won't hurt her. If she is truly your heart's desire you will not bite her!_ I went with my conscious and sat back on the table shaking my head at myself.

"Hey, Stark, I know about bloodhunger, it's terrible, and from what I've been told you'll need it they have to have blood somewhere down here." She turned and walked towards a cabinet and started looking through it. I grabbed the mirror again to see my eyes had turned the color of fresh blood. I dropped the mirror when I saw my eyes and said to myself, "I'm a monster."

What I hadn't know is that Zoey was by me, putting a hand on my shoulder with a bag of blood in the other hand. It wasn't much but it was enough to get me partially normal again."You're not a monster." She said quietly.

Her eyes were filled with worry, yet they were strong as if she knew what was about to happen next. "Then why do my eyes turn from brown to red in almost an instant. I saw Neferet had a hint of red in her eyes, and she's a monster." I said. I was a monster. That was all there is to it.

"If you stay with me, not her, you won't become a monster." She was trying. She really cared.

"I'm glad you and Jack were here installing the camera right then, or else I wouldn't have anyone to help me right now and would probably be going crazy."

"She knew I was here that's why she left so fast." She said looking straight into my eyes, she moved her hand off my shoulder and sat by me on the table.

"Are you sure she'll make me kill you?" I had to ask. I wouldn't EVER do it. Not for all the blood in the world.

"Or someone close to me. Or both." She wouldn't hold anything back to me, at least I'd hoped.

"You have to know I would never, ever, kill you, or anyone close to you." I put my hand over hers, she did a half smile and it was quiet for a while until I said, "I told you I would come back to you."

"You did. Do you remember the night you died?" She asked hesitantly.

"Parts." I said. "I remember you kissed me, and I remember Duch's face. Duchess! Where is she! Please tell me she's still here!" Remembering my dog made me happy. I was hoping Duch was still here.

"I keep my promises, Stark." She said. "She'll be here in a minute. Jack's been taking care of her."

"Oh thank Nyx!" I said.

"Jack's bringing her here now. They- oh there she is." She said and she nodded in Duch's direction.

"Duchess!" I yelled as the dog ran to me and jumped on the table, straight to my lap. Man, I never missed her so much in my life.

"She can't stay here long, her barking will give us away." Jack said.

"You guys go. Take Duchess, I'll see her later." I said scratching her ears, then letting her off of my lap to the hard stone floor.

They were walking out when I walked to Zoey, took her hand, and whispered in her ear, "I mean it. I will never hurt you." She then whispered back, "Not intentionally." Taking her hand out of mine and they snuck out of the morgue.

I was alone with a bunch of dead fledglings. This should be fun.

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**Please review!**

**Next chapter will be half in Stark's POV and half Zoey's POV.**

**It's gonna be like what they think of the situation.**

**And who knows, if i get more than 5 reviews I might even make them, I don't know, kiss.**

**So review(:**

**~Lolibarbie(:**


	3. Destiny

**A/N 1) I HATE SUNBURNS! THEY HURT! Okay, I know randomness(: 2) I got 4 reviews and was tired of waiting! I had to post this part since it will be one of the best. No they don't get together…Yet(; **

**Since I ALMOST got my 5 reviews I will make partial fluff. **

**Oh what the heck ill even do what I promised! **

**Last chap I said this'll be what they think about each other. And it is. And at the end they'll see each other.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own House of Night ****If I did, why would I be making fanfictions? No offence(:**

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Stark's POV:

Alone. With a bunch of dead fledglings that could come alive at any moment. This is fun.

_You like her._ I thought. _So? She's hot? What's not to like?_

_You like her for _her_._

_Never. Not after what happened at the Chicago HoN, the only thing I didn't tell Zoey!_

The thing I didn't tell Zoey. She wouldn't understand.

~FLASHBACK~

_(NO POV IN FLASHBACK)_

_He loved her. She was the only girl he could trust, her name was Destiny. Kinda creepy and ironic, but he never minded and only thought she had a beautiful name._

"_Destiny, I love you." He said while practicing his archery. He pulled the bow back and the arrow flew right into the bull's eye._

"_I love you too, James." He had lied when he said he dropped the first name years ago, he dropped it after what happened, because she always called him 'James'._

_He hit the bull's eye again before stopping and looking at her and telling her, "I'll be gone, the match is in an hour and it lasts a few weeks."_

"_So you'll be gone?" She asked._

"_Yes, I'll be gone." He said grimly._

"_I understand." Her brown hair shined in the sun as she turned slightly. _

"_Destiny, know I won't forget you." Though she wasn't turning around in grief she was turning so he couldn't see the blood coming from her eyes and nose, then she was violently coughing. She was rejecting the Change. _

_In a matter of hours she had died, and Stark vowed to never love, so stereotypical._

END OF FLASHBACK~

She wouldn't understand how hard it was. Or maybe she would, I mean I died in her arms and so did her best friend. Maybe it would be good to tell her

ZOEY'S POV:

I was walking by the east wall with Nala 'mee-uf-ow'ing **(A/N idk if that's correct because I don't have the book at home. So please correct me if I'm wrong!)** by my face. "I know, Nala, I should go back. But what if Neferet's down there now? She would kill me if she knew that I knew that Stark was alive, or if I knew what she was doing to the fledglings."

I couldn't stop myself from thinking about the night Stark died, him telling me about Will, him kissing my hand, the first fluid-filled cough followed with all the blood. I shuddered thinking about it. Then when I thought of the kiss I could feel it all over again.

What if we _were _soul-mates? I mean, it is a possibility, right? I said to Nala, "Right?" She 'mee-uf-ow'ed, the sound reassuring me.

"The cat tells all." I joked. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. It was a text from Stevie Rae.

How's it going with Stark?

I smiled at that, somehow Stevie Rae always knew what I was thinking after she died then un-died. I replied.

He's alive.

I didn't get a reply after that so I guess Stevie Rae was telling the other red fledglings about him.

I heard a rustling near the trap door as if someone was walking over it, it was Stark.

He came over by me and said, "Hey."

I smiled, "Hey."

He seemed troubled so I asked, "You got something on your mind? And shouldn't you be in the morgue?"

He said, "I needed someone to vent to." He shrugged one shoulder.

I said, "Talk."

Then he told me, "I didn't tell you everything about the Chicago House. There was a girl there, her name was Destiny." It obviously pained him to remember these memories. It actually hurt to see him like that. "We were in love, and when I was practicing archery-"

I cut him off, "Did you kill her?"

He smiled and nodded no, "When I was practicing she rejected the Change, right there in front of me, and I've never delt with it and since I guess you've had your best friend die in your arms and me die in your arms you could help me."

His eyes were filled with worry and sorrow. I took my hand and put it over his and said, "It's hard to deal with it but I don't think I can help, the people that died in my arms are still alive. One of them is right next to me." I guess I said something right because he entangled his fingers with mine.

"I think I can get over her." He smiled and cocked his head slightly to the left, my left that is.

"It's hard to get over death, even if the death isn't that long." I didn't even know I took a step forward so we were only a mere inch apart.

"No one can replace Destiny, but I know she and I weren't meant for each other. I know who I'm meant to be with."

And before I knew it he pressed his lips to mine and shock went through my body. It felt better than Heath and Erik's kisses combined.

All is well that ends well, I guess for now.

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**Awww, I know, next chapter will be the sad chapter then I suspect there will be two more after that. Or three. It depends. **

**So review!**

**Thanks for reading and to all who have reviewed so far!**

**~Lolibarbie(:**


	4. Scarlet Eyes

**A/N: HEY(: IM BACK(: My sunburns STILL hurt. But it's all good. **

**Now for the chapter.**

**This is the sad chapter. It will actually have the book in it.**

**Not the quotes just the story line, well partially it will.**

**After this we will go to Hunted where she finds him again.**

**Also this will be like, pretty short. It's just a filler chapter basically, explaining why he's being an ass.**

**Enjoy(:**

**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT whatsoever own HoN.**

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Stark's POV:

That kiss. Man, if Destiny was still with me she would shoot me for saying that I feel for Zoey what I felt for her.

I sound like such a mush. And at that moment I could have sworn I saw her in my mind. Her brown hair, her sparkling eyes, she was so beautiful before she- and that moment I pulled backwards.

"Stark? You okay?" Zoey asked. That same feeling that I felt come over me when I wanted blood came over me again. So, I was guessing my eyes were turning scarlet.

"Stark? Listen, take hold on your humanity. Please." Her eyes were filled with worry. This girl has been through way too much. I had to get out of there.

I turned and out of my evil-ness said, "Go away Zoey, I don't care about you. Or anything about you. Just GO!"

She hesitated and then just left towards the library.

She would never talk to me again. Great.

There you go Destiny, you win.

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"Zzzzzzzzzzoey." I stuttered. What was up with me hissing her name? I swear I missed her so much. I mean that morgue was crazy, every minute it seemed like some dead fledgling was either being taken in or coming back to life! It's freaking creepy!

I then heard Neferet's command to make me shoot Earth, then I heard her say, "I will give you your heart's desire." My heart's desire can be described in one word.

Zoey.

I shot. If I didn't think Zoey would talk to me earlier, oh, she will never talk to me again for sure now. She rushed to Stevie Rae **(A/N: Don't worry, I'll make Stark do something nice. Im not THAT evil…maybe(;)**

I entered the circle, how, I have no idea, something in my head just told me to go in there, and the voice in my head strangely sounded like Damien inviting me into the circle. Thank you, Damien.

I rushed over by Zoey, my evil feeling gone, and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

She said, "Go, please." She was just trying to be nice, well, she's going to have to do better than that.

"No, okay, listen, I'm sorry for everything."

She was pissed now, "Unless you leave I will zap you, no kidding, I've done it before, and the person died."

I didn't want to die. Again. I guess I'll learn to live without Zoey.

'James, she's right for you.' A voice in the back of my mind said. Destiny. Why was she in my head! 'Don't let her go.'

And after that, Kalona came out of the ground and all hell broke loose. I didn't see Zoey any time after.

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**Okay, I know kinda jumpy. Kinda corny with the, 'James, she's right for you!' and it just happens to be his ex girlfriend that died! It came to me so I decided to put it in!**

**Please review!**

**Thanks(:**

**~Lolibarbie(:**


	5. Change

**A/N: GAH! I AM SO SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED! My internet is a retard. Lol!**

**Happy Father's day!**

**I had MAJOR writers block for this story…I can't think of how I want it to go, so I decided, just go straight to the stables because that is my favorite part. Lol. **

**THIS IS THE FINALE! Also pretend everything Zoey had with Erik is over. Heath has given her space.**

**So this part will be at the field house before Stark gives Zoey his Warrior Pledge…Okay. Here I go!**

**Starts when he like started kissing her for like no reason. This will actually have like the exact book scene in it. With my twist **

**Disclaimer: I still do not own HoN…and of course I'm still wishing I did. I own nothing but my twist in the story. All other contents go the PC Cast and Kristen Cast!**

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Zoey's POV:

Sure, I should have been pissed. I should have pushed him away and told him off instead of kissing him back (enthusiastically). I'd like to be able to say that my semi-ho-ish reaction to him was because I'd had so much stress and fear in my life lately that I needed to escape, and his arms were the easiest escape available, which would imply I wasn't actually totally responsible for the fact that I was sucking face with Stark right there in the doorway to the stables.

The truth is less flattering, and yet it is still the truth. I didn't kiss him because of stress, or fear, or escape, or because of anything except the fact that I wanted to kiss him. I like him. Really, really like him. I didn't know what I was going to do about him. I didn't know where he would fit in my life—or even how he would fit in my life especially if I was ashamed to admit my feelings for him in public. I could only imagine the freak-out it would cause among my friends. Not to mention the zillion pissed-off pod girls who would…

And thinking about the zillion pod girls Stark had be biting and whatnot finally splashed cold water on me and I managed to stop kissing him. I gave him a shove so that he stepped out of the doorway. I hurried into the field house, looking around guiltily and then breathing a sigh of relief that we were the only ones loitering and cutting class.

There was a little side room off of the mail field house complex. Much like the tack room in the stables. It was where the bows and arrows and targets and other field house-ish and sporting equipment and such was housed. I ducked into it with Stark close on my heels, closed the door, and took a few steps away from him. When he gave me _that look_, that sexy smile of his, and started toward me I help up my hand like a crossing guard.

"No. You stay over there and I'll stay over here. We need to talk and that's not going to happen if you're close to me," I said.

"Because you can't keep your hands off me?"

"Oh, please. I'm managing to keep my hand off you just fine. I'm not one of your pod girls."

"Pod girls?"

"You know, from _Invasion of the Body Snatchers. _That's how I think of the girls you bite and mess with their minds so that they're all '_Oooh, that Stark, he's just so hot! Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod!'_ It's seriously annoying. And, by the way, if you ever try any of that crap with me, I promise you I will call all of the five elements and we will kick your butt. Count on it."

"I wouldn't try to do that with you, but that's not saying I wouldn't like to taste you. I totally would." His voice had gone all sexy again and he started to step closer to me.

"No! I'm serious about you staying over there."

"Okay! Okay! What's got your panties in a bunch?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "My panties are not in a bunch. All hell happens to be breaking loose around us, in case you hadn't noticed. The House of Night is under the control of something that's probably a demon. Neferet has turned into something that's probably a lot worse than a demon. My friends and I are not safe. I have no idea about how to do what I need to do to begin to make this mess right, and to top it all off I'm falling for a guy who's been with a crapload of the girls on campus and used mind control on them."

"You're falling for me?" That was ALL he had to say?

"Yeah, great isn't it? I already have a human guy I've Imprinted. As my grandma would say, my dance card is full."

"I can take care of the Imprint." Automatically Stark's hand came up to stroke the bow that was strapped to his back.

"Hell no, you won't _take care of him!"_ I yelled. "Get this through your head: That bow is not the fix-it answer to your problems. It should be your very last resort and should never, ever be used against another person, human or vampyre. You used to know that."

His face hardened. "You know what happened to me. I'm not going to apologize for what's become my nature."

"Your nature? Do you mean your spoiled-brat nature, or your slut nature?"

"I mean me!" He pounded his fist against his chest. "It's what I am now."

"Okay, you need to hear me once and for all, because I'm not going to keep repeating this. Get a damn clue! We _all_ have bad things inside us, and we _all _choose either to give in to those bad things or to fight them."

**(A/N:Twist completely starts. Lol.) **"It's not the same with me, it's not the same with anyone." He took a step back then turned his back to me.

"It's never the same for anyone, all you have to do is choose light over darkness, there will always be a choice, Stark, always. And it's _yours."_

He turned back facing me and he just stared into my eyes, "You _still _falling for me?"

"If you make the right choice I will answer you. But let's just say that unless you change I will never be with you, no, Imprint. No I would NEVER want to hurt them, but if I wanted you enough I would stop thinking about anyone other than us."

"So it's a yes?"

"If you do the right choice."

He came to me and before I could do anything he got on one knee, put his hand over his heart then said, "I know how I can make the right choice. I know we're still fledglings but the Sons of Erebus call you a High Priestess. I want to pledge myself to you. Warriors have done it for centuries, pledging themselves, body, heart, and soul, to protect their High Priestess. I believe I qualify as Warrior material."

"Do you understand what you are doing?" We learned about this in Vamp Soc, it was harder to break than an Imprint, he would be there for her his entire life.

"Of course, if I make the right choice everything will be okay. Do you accept my pledge, my lady?"

"Stark, of course I do. In Nyx's name I bind you to the Goddess's service as well as to mine, because to serve me is to serve her."

The air around us changed and there was a bright light and Stark fell to the ground, right at my feet. I fell beside him and I pulled him upright and said, "Stark! Are you okay?"

He looked up at me and at that moment I knew what had happened, his scarlet crescent was filled and there was an arrow design on his face. He had Changed.

"Stark, you- you're Changed." I ran a hand on along his face.

"I have, really?"

I nodded and then I started crying, he put one arm around me, the other on my chin, and then we kissed.

**_fin_**


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